Best Of: The Most Exquisite Shows Of Paris Menswear Fashion Week (I)

Let yourself be delighted by the most exquisite and the most spectacular creations by the top fashion designers of the moment, as seen at Paris Menswear Fashion Week:

Viktor & Rolf

What’s chic-er? A bad boy showcasing his tough side in studded leather jackets and skinny pants or a super-sweet geek who makes girls fall in love with his unmatchable charm featured in his square glasses and classic shirts worn under V-neck sweaters? Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren had a hard time deciding, so their Menswear Spring/Summer 2014 collection had a little bit of both. College-style blazers, leather jackets and skinny pants, printed shirts and striped jackets made up a cool line-up, perfectly fit for the man that’s always young at heart.

The Valentino Menswear Spring/Summer 2014 show imagined by Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli, opened with a set of silhouettes fashioned out of denim, which was manipulated in such a way as to create sophisticated suits. Then, the designer duo sent out onto the runway a parade of uniforms – aviation, military and marine uniforms were reinvented in ultra-stylish versions, while the show was closed on an elegant note, with a set of impeccable suits.

A tropical vibe took over the runway of the 3.1 Philip Lim Menswear S/S 2014 show, as a set of surfer boys took the stage in a mix of beachwear/urban looks. Pants reminiscent of scubadiving gear came together with kimono-style shirts, biker jackets were rendered in metallic leather and sometimes reinvented as vests, and the chromatic palette, featuring coral tones and ocean blue, alongside exotic prints, added up to the perfect holiday spirit.

If up until recently, leather was a fabric that was mostly used in collections for the cold season, little by little, it’s establishing its status as a permanent fixture of Spring/Summer collections. For his signature Menswear collection, Alexander Wang proposed silhouettes in perforated leather paired with cotton tunics, shirts with black leather inserts and sportswear-inspired shorts, creating ultra-stylish looks.